Invisible Man blog #1                                                                                                                             

     In the novel, Invisible Man, the narrator makes several references about light in New York. His referencing even turns paradoxical in meaning. He claims doubt exist about how there "is a brighter spot in all New York than [his] hole" (pg. 6) of a home. The fact that it is physically impossible for a hole to be brighter than "Broadway, or the Empire State Building" (pg. 6) now presents itself. In fact, he even states such places "are among the darkest of our whole civilization, [even] our whole culture." (pg. 6). To say this is similar to saying there exist no place flatter than Earth. The fact about the narrator being so paradoxical means he isn't talking about physical light. He treats light as a symbol containing a plethora of meanings. The meanings are full of lessons the narrator wishes to share to the reader.
     The light the narrator talks about so fondly of is of vital importance to him. The meaning of the light the narrator expresses the most emphasis on is the light as a symbol of purity. In biblical texts, light expresses a person in the light as an embodiment of purity of heart. Within his hole, there exist no one to discriminate the narrator nor treat him as he like to now call himself, "an invisible man." (pg. 1). The environment in his hole opposes  what happens in the corrupt areas of New York, such as Broadway or the Empire State Building. If the narrator enters such areas of New York, the people around the narrator treat him as invisible or in one case in which he kicks a man "in a frenzy because he [utters] insults through his lips," (pg. 4) a disgrace to society. He also assumes the reason he craves light arises "exactly because [he is] invisible." (pg. 6).